The literary analyses of the Psalms are written by Dr. Victoria Rosenberg. They come out of discussions between Rabbi Amram Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg who weekly study a particular Psalm which inspires the analysis then posted on the website. Victoria Hammerling Rosenberg holds a PhD in English literature and has taught at Dalhousie and Mount St. Vincent universities.
Click here to read “Psalm Thirteen– Translation of the Song” The singer’s anguish in Song 13 is so acute that the four repetitions of “how long” in verses 2 and 3 sound a scream rather than a lament. The source of the singer’s grief is the seeming absence of God — “How long, ADONAI, will …
Click here to read “Psalm Twelve– Translation of the Song” The structure of Psalm 12 mirrors its content exactly; their reflection, each of the other, parallel. The song consists of 9 lines, with verses 3, 6 and 9 explicitly exemplifying the intricate, intimate connection between form and idea; the numbers themselves indicating both a duality …
Click here to read “Psalm Six – Translation of the Song” Song 11 presents unsolvable puzzles to its interpreters. It begins by adding a stanza to the usual identification of its composer, in itself a divergency from the previous Songs 3 to 10. Moreover, the stanza refers to someone unseen and …
That Song 10 is a continuation of, rather than separate from, Song 9 is clear from its first verse. It mentions neither the composer nor the instrument, setting it apart from Songs 3 to 9.* But, although Song 9 does not end with a chord of resolution, still the abrupt beginning of Song 10, with …
The address of the chapter as appears in Psalm 9:1, talks about the death / defeat of the wicked. Song 9 opens in a mood of jubilation. The verbs of joy surge: “acclaim” and “tell” of v. 2 build to “rejoice and exult” and “sing” of v. 3. The exultation ebbs away as the singer …
Psalm 8 describes the contrast between or oppositeness of God and humankind. An oppositeness that is immediately established in verse 2, with the juxtaposition of human frailty — “infants and sucklings” — and God’s “strength”. And yet it is out of the vulnerability and helplessness of the infant that God’s strength emerges: “From the mouths …
Continue reading ‘Literary Analysis of Psalm 8 – Oppositeness of God and “mortal man”’ »
The Sages identified the ‘address’ / opening verse of Psalm 7, as King David who talks about King Saul: “A shiggayon of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush the Benjamite.” (Psalm 7:1). King Saul’s line goes all the way to Jakob’s youngest son, Banjamin. The description ‘Cush’ mentioned only in this verse, …
Click here to read “Psalm Six – Translation of the Song” Verse 1 of Song 6 declares it has been composed to be accompanied by an 8-stringed lute. This declaration is immediately followed by a series of 7 commands which the singer directs to God: v. 2 — “do not rebuke me” — “do not …
The introductory phrase states that this song was written by the Levite Asaph. But the first section of Song 79 — verses 1 to 4 — itself makes clear that it was not King David who composed it. First, and most obvious, it is a lament for the destruction of the Temple, built by David’s …
The opening verse of Song 5 declares that it is “for the leader; for the nechilot. The English translation is straight-forward: the song has been composed to be sung by the leader of the Temple musicians (the exact meaning of nechilot has been lost; flutes is a common editorial suggestion). The Hebrew, however, hints at another interpretation: the leader is God, …